Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy
The Flow Volume 2, Issue 1 January 2015
Inside T he Flow:
The Praxis Cycle
The Praxis Cycle
1
Praxis in Action
2-6
IJLA Culture
7-8
IJLA’s Competencies
9
Editors & Contributors
10
What’s New? If you are familiar with the IJLA Newsletter, feel free to skip around to the new stuff.
Passions to PATHWAYS! We all have interests. For some it’s a sport; for others, it’s yoga or theatre. Some have an eclectic array of interests. Through these passions, we founded our Familias. Students were able to choose their familias based on what they liked. For example, Jonah and Adilene’s Familias are participating in learning new dance routines to de-stress. Liz’s Familia is working on video productions. These students will earn Pathways credit for studying their passions.
Praxis has always been something that people who are passionate about social justice work or influenced by Paulo Freire try to understand and implement. Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy (IJLA) is a school that is dedicated to the model of Education for Liberation. At IJLA, it is not just the staff that have embarked on this journey, but also their students. Students describe it as “Praxis is what you know (Unpacking), to what you learn (Refine Ubicacion), to doing something with what you know and learn (Applying a Refined Reality), to finally reflecting about what you just did (Driving Hope and Reflection).” In all aspects, IJLA is in praxis in the classroom, in the culture, in the lesson plans, and in the way we interact with each other on a daily basis.
Page 2
PRAXIS IN ACTION
Working on Pathways
Eric Chamorro meeting with Marine veterans for his Pathways project
Students attending an overnight college tour with Escalera where they visited 3 universities. One Instituto!
Students Attend a Career Fair!
Students at the Malcolm X Career Fair
POETRY CORNER By: Tiffany Talley, IJLA student “My City” Why is my city full of hate? Chi-town shows no pity and that’s a freaking shame. Whether you're in Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards, McKinley park or Englewood, it’s all the same. Someone is dying everyday on my block and you’re block but we act like it’s not true. We close our eyes to the madness and say “naw, it doesn’t affect me.” Until it’s your boy that took five to the chest and now he can’t take another breath. It's a war zone out here. And nobody knows why. It’s crazy how a 15 year old can get shot in the chest and lose his life over a pelle. Protecting his brother on 63rd and state four days before his birthday. The one day his mom couldn’t pick them up. I wonder if she thinks it’s her fault. His twin brother he lost his other half, might as well have lost his right hand. Twins share a bond that no one would ever understand. I can't even imagine I just close my eyes and pray for his family. This is what my city has become, we went from chitown to chi-raq and now there’s no going back. All the voices we lost to the wrong path I wish we can get them back, but that’s just my fantasy not reality. So as I walk down my block I always watch my back. I don’t ever want to lack because once you do there is no going back. I want my city to be great and I plan to make that change. But sometimes I just want to give up, pack up my stuff and never look back, but I can’t. I’m just waiting for the day that my people see this is not what we're meant to be.
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PRAXIS IN ACTION
Changing Your Scenery It’s a big world out there. Our experiences define us. We find out who we are when we face new experiences. My experiences, in particular within natural ecosystems, have transformed who I am on a fundamental level. This is why I am passionate about being able to provide these kinds of experiences to our students On November 19, 2014 our school went to Irons Oaks in Olympia Fields, a place that specializes in providing adventure education in the form of outdoor teambuilding activities. It felt really good to be out there that day. I felt a lot of positive energy from our students. Overall, the students had a really great time, many expressing the desire to continue the day’s activities and not to leave, not yet! The woods were pretty awesome. Nature makes us feel free. One student wrote me a thank you and gave me a big hug. It was really cold and on the way home one of the buses broke down on the side of the expressway! BUT- I think the harsh conditions were a good challenge for us. It is important to sometimes push ourselves, to feel successful, to feel a part of something greater than yourself. It brings us closer together, even if for a short time. It is my hope that our experience can help us build a positive community at our school. I look forward to seeing what we can do next as a school. Improving our students’ lives is a radical idea, because our society isn’t really trying to improve our students’ lives. They have fallen through the cracks and society doesn’t care about it so much. BUT… our school cares. AND the students care. This is our strength. This is why we are radical. Our school wide fieldtrip showed us how awesome we can be together. by Damaris Allen , Leveling Science Teacher
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PRAXIS IN ACTION Before climbing the pole, I felt very confident because while everybody liked to sit inside the house I've always been the outdoorsy kind in my family. I remember growing up as child in Mexico you would always find me up in a tree or jumping fences. When I was getting up there, I felt confident! I was like "yeah! I got thissss" that's mainly why I volunteered my partner and I to go first. When I reached half way and the metal steps were further apart I realized I wasn't a kid anymore! Lol I thought I was going to slip and die! I couldn't stretch my legs as much as I wanted because the boots that I wore that day were very slippery! Not to mention, since it was so cold my hands were beginning to cramp up and freeze! :( Going up half way I could not do it! I felt it in my poor hands. Since the metal steps were further apart and my boots were slippery I thought I was going to slip. I was yelling at Adi that I couldn't do it! And I hugged the pole and was planning on never letting it go. I genuinely, in the core of my being felt I couldn't take one more step up.
The Struggle
Andrea raising her fist to victory! She did it!
As I was screaming and cursing at Adi (I'm sorry Adi, I love you) "it's harder than it looks" and "I can't do this" "take me down" I heard all of my group cheering for me. They all said "you can do it" so I screamed back "NO I CAN'T, PUT ME DOWN" they kept cheering for me although I knew I couldn't do it, other people encouraged me to do it! After what felt like hours but was actually less than two minutes of hearing them chant, any sound coming from my peers was muted and my mind was racing with thoughts of doubt and low confidence my hands were beginning to slip from the pole and the last of the strength I had in my arms was begging to vanish. When I began to hear them chant again, I felt a rush of energy all through my body and all I kept saying was "I can do this, I can do this"!! And without even thinking about it I took the next step up. I thought to myself "that wasn't so bad, if I do it five more times I'll be at the top" so without even thinking about it I took another step up. Ruben who was already up there was calmly telling me "Don't give up, you're almost there" I took four more steps and I was already up there! I was so happy to finally be up there that I wasn't even thinking of the pain that I went through to get there. All of this taught me that I have no upper body strength and I should probably go to the gym more often. But that also goes to show that we can endure a lot more than we think we can. It all depends on who we surround ourselves with. I am very lucky to be a part of the Rudy Familia. I will forever remember that day. Also, rope climbing was on my bucket list and it's finally checked off! It's an experience that I will never forget! - Andrea Anaya, IJLA Student
Memo Torres, Salvador Guzman and Adan Roa on the high ropes
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PRAXIS IN ACTION
Teachers for Social Justice Curriculum Fair
Apprentice Pod created an informational packet about the structures we use at Rudy, such as the Praxis Model, Restorative Justice, Competencies (school wide, SSC, and by department), Essential Questions, Generative Themes. Each teacher of the Apprentice Pod also submitted some social justice curriculum that we have done this year or the unit competencies that drive the course. Students also presented on the community tours research project that they conducted to study the community around them.
“It felt both great and inspiring to be part of the curriculum fair because I was able to see how others teach social justice. I was also able to meet others that where interested in what my research on neurobiology
Mastery students Liliana Orocio, Devon Mendez, Salvador Guzman and Liliana Ramirez of Science Seminar took the lead and presented their proposals as well as their current research on their individual research projects. They demonstrated the work that they’ve completed in science seminar and also got some parent and community involvement in their projects.
consisted of.” -Salvador Guzman, IJLA Student
“I felt a little nervous about presenting at the TSJ Curriculum Fair; however, it was very exciting knowing that I would be teaching others how things work in my IJLA Science Seminar Class. “ -Liliana Ramirez, IJLA Student
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PRAXIS IN ACTION
What’s happening in Rhetoric of Change? “What I've analyzed so far about Sonnet 1, is that Shakespeare wants more beautiful people in this world and the girl he's talking to only sees things her way. She's her own worst enemy.” -Roxy Ramirez, IJLA Student
In Rhetoric of Change, students are working on memorizing and reciting Shakespearean sonnets. This is certainly a challenge for many students, as it requires them to do two things that they are not used to doing everyday-speaking in front of a group of their peers and committing lines of poetry to memory. Memorizing lines of poetry has many benefits for the brain. It is much like weight lifting for the brain, making it stronger and better at the general task of remembering things. Memorization also helps us practice focus and enhances our mental capacity for learning new concepts. Additionally, it is a way for students to learn about how they learn and remember things. These are skills that students can apply to many other areas of their lives, both in and out of school. By: Liz Kindig , Mastery English Teacher
Sonnet 1 Recited by: Roxy Ramirez From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty's rose might never die, But as the riper should by time decease, His tender heir might bear his memory: But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes, Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel, Making a famine where abundance lies, Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel: Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament, And only herald to the gaudy spring, Within thine own bud buriest thy content, And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding: Pity the world, or else this glutton be, To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.
History Seminar Trip to Holocaust Museum being hosted by the Illinois Holocaust Museum entitled RACE: Are We So Different? also draws on this video series. Students visited this exhibit as well as the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition which provides a history of the Holocaust.
The Zev and Shifra Karkomi Permanent Exhibition is a place where those familiar with the Holocaust and those learning about it for the first time can experience pre-war European life, ghettos and concentration camps, liberation and resettlement around the world through more than 500 artifacts, documents, photographs, and a German rail car of the type used in Nazi deportations.
On December 4th, students in both Mastery-level History Seminar courses attended a field trip to the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, Illinois. The topic of this year’s History Seminar course is race, class and gender in U.S. history and society. The course includes study of the ground breaking PBS video series entitled Race: The Power of an Illusion. An exhibit currently
The students who attended the field trip developed a deeper understanding of how race has been social constructed in U.S. history. They likewise learned about what steps we can take to deconstruct race and racism as we work to transform our world. The students visit to the Karkomi Permanent Exhibition allowed them to connect what they learned about race and racism in the U.S. to the experience of Europe in the 20th century, especially in regards to the Jewish people. Students also got to hear from Holocaust survivors A unique experience that students were excited to be a part of. By: Jerry Mead-Lucero, Mastery History Teacher
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IJLA CULTURE
Restorative Justice Practices On November 20, 2014, Thirteen (13) young men and women came together to be trained as Peer Circle Facilitators. Some have been students at IJLA for a year or more while others just started this year. They came to the training with one common goal; to make IJLA a better place for students and for the staff. Their background varied as much as their life experiences, but they were all committed to helping other students find their ubicacion through restorative justice practices. On this day, they remained after school when
their companeros returned home. From 4 pm to 6 pm they engaged in activities and discussed what it meant to become a Peer Circle Facilitator. They reached out to one another with support and encouragement. By the end of the training, the thirteen (13) young men and women had a better understanding of what was expected of them. It was no surprise that they all accepted the challenges of the new journey they were going to embark upon. On this evening, they singlehandedly dispelled the myth
that young men and women are more concerned for themselves than for anyone else. Witnessing such commitment and greatness was truly an experience that I will never forget. I wait eagerly to see how they will assist others in their ubicacion and transformation. By: Roberto Lopez, Leveling Prevention & Intervention Counselor
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IJLA CULTURE
Our Restorative Justice PAC consists of a group of students working with doctoral candidate, Lynn Liao, from DePaul to research our model of approaching discipline. The students wrote a grant proposal and submitted it on 11/26/2014. To the right, you will find an excerpt from the submitted proposal. We’d like to wish our Amazing, hard working students luck in getting the grant.
Restorative Justice PAC "We try to understand that students’ problems might stem from external factors that do not relate to school at all. At IJLA, we use dialogue to resolve conflict in order to restore relationships and the culture of respect in our space. Instead of focusing on the behavior or incident, we seek to address the root cause. We try to encourage everyone to be responsible and accountable for school safety by incorporating community input to make sure consequences are fair. Over time, our practice of restorative justice has grown to create a more compassionate culture. However, it is time that we take a step back to reflect on how restorative justice has developed over the years at our school as well as how it has impacted both students and staff. Although many of us practice it daily and have seen changes, we have yet to document it. The purpose of this research is to capture our unique model of restorative justice. " -IJLA Students
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IJLA’s COMPETENCIES
What’s the difference between traditional grading and competency based assessment? Traditional Grading System
Competency-Based Grading System
1. Based on assessment methods (quizzes, tests, homework, projects, etc.). One grade/entry is given per assessment. 2. Assessments are based on a percentage system. Criteria for success may be unclear. 3. Uses an uncertain mix of assessment, achievement, effort and behavior to determine the final grade. May use late penalties and extra credit. 4. Everything goes in the grade book regardless of purpose. 5. Includes every score, regardless of when it was collected. Assessments record the average—not the best—work.
1. Based on learning goals and performance standards. One status is given per learning goal. 2. Standards are criterion or proficiencybased. Criteria and targets are made available ahead of time. 3. Measures achievement only OR separates achievement from effort/behavior. No penalties or extra credit given. 4. Selected assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, etc.) are used for grading purposes. 5. Emphasizes the most recent evidence of learning when grading.
Competency Assessment at IJLA 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
We distinguish between baseline, coaching, and benchmark statuses per competency. Yes, our competency-based targets are available ahead of time. Yes, achievement is not effort. We use more performance based assessments, and we assess based on evidence over total opportunities for learning. Opportunities build towards a comprehensive final product with real audiences. Yes, it's all about students' current status.
Adapted from O’Connor K (2002). How to Grade for Learning: Linking grades to Standards (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Let’s Meet the Competencies!
“It is incumbent on educators to ensure that grading and assessment practices give students chances to succeed. Lethal grading
Hi, I have the discipline of freedom, not punishment. I reach for goals that achieve justice for all. I achieve those goals, which are aligned with my principles and values, by being disciplined in thought/cognition and planning and by aligning my action with those goals.
Hi, I am always reaching to become more fully human and not ruled by hegemony. I understand that my identity is complex. I embrace myself and others as critical scholars and agents of transformation. This value leads to empowerment.
Hi, I manifest a voice that does not intimidate, nor is intimidated. I communicate effectively with the world. I simultaneously articulate my place and that of others in the path for justice in the world.
Hi, I deconstruct and reconstruct meaning through critical questions. Critical questions give me resilience and power in the path towards transformation. I hold opposing ideas in cognition. I unlearn, ubicar, learn, and transform.
Hi, I use transformative decision making skills to create a positive impact in personal, family, school, and community contexts. Praxis produces action, while reaction produces destruction. I systematically engage in deep exercises of reflection without blame. I gather authentic evidence. I reflect, refine, act, and repeat.
I follow an ethic of care in which the strength of love rules over individualism. I work collaboratively through acceptance, challenge, and love to reach individual and collective goals.
practices can harm students and set them on a course of failure.” -Jeffery A. Erickson
by Jonah Bondurant, Apprentice English Teacher
NEWSLETTER EDITORS & LEAD CONTRIBUTORS Editors: Adilene Aguilera a.aguilera@idpl.org Kasia Sanchez k.sanchez@idpl.org Student Contributors: Andrea Anaya
RUDY LOZANO CAMPUS
MASTERY CAMPUS
Salvador Guzman Liliana Ramirez Roxy Ramirez Tiffany Talley
Staff Contributors: Jonah Bondurant j.bondurant@idpl.org Damaris Allen d.allen@idpl.org Roberto Lopez R.lopez@idpl.org Jerry Mead– L;ucero J.mead@idpl.org
2570 S. Blue Island Chicago, Il 60608 Phone: 773-890-8060 Fax: 773-890-1537
Mission: Instituto Justice and Leadership Academy is dedicated to the principle that education is liberation. Our mission as a learning community is to engage our students in a rigorous and social justice inspired program driven by a student centered environment.
WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING SEMESTER!
Miguel Guevara guevara@idpl.org Cynthia Nambo c.nambo@idpl.org Pearl Martinez p.martinez@idpl.org Melanie Chwee m.chwee@idpl.org
2520 S. Western Ave Chicago, Il 60608 Phone: 773-890-8060 Fax: 773-890-1537
CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK! HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/INSTITUTOJLA About Instituto:
Instituto Del Progreso Latino’s mission is to contribute to the fullest development of Latino immigrants and their families through education, training and employment that fosters full participation in the changing United States society while preserving cultural identity and dignity.
Elizabeth Kindig e.kindig@idpl.org
The Flow is looking for student contributions. Contact the editor if you are interested!
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